Yesteryears: Postal Route 6 added to HR Postal Service 1975

When the gift cars of Hood River apples leave for the east next week they will carry two boxes of extra fancy fruit as a wedding president for President Wilson. One box will be Spitzenbergs and the other Newtowns.

An orchestral pipe organ is being installed at the Electric Theater this week and it is hoped to put it to use for the first time tomorrow. The accompaniment of moving pictures by means of a pipe organ represents the highest development of music applied to moving pictures.

1925 — 90 years ago

Yeggs made their annual or semi-annual visit to the Pine Grove store in the small hours of last Friday morning. This time the news story reads very different than those of the several previous events, when yeggs got away with the haul. Either through miscalculation or lack of knowledge, the two planned their break-in at a time when there was very little money in the store. They forced an entrance and started work on the safe, when without warning, the store was flooded with electric light and a bells started to ring. The alarm bell aroused John McElroy, of the Van Horn Hotel and, seizing a short gun he ran out in the open and fired two shots in the direction of the store. Nothing was stolen, the thieves evidently being in a big hurry to leave.

1935 — 80 years ago

On Thursday evening, Dec. 5, the Christian, Methodist and Riverside churches will present “The Prince of Egypt,” a spectacular historical drama portraying the life of Moses. The play, which will be given in the high school auditorium, will be enacted by over 50 local men and women, who are rehearsing under the direction of Miss Audrey Northup.

Guessed He Was Twenty-one — The office force at Duckwall Bros., Inc., last week obtained the information that Harold M. Dexter was about to celebrate a birthday anniversary. So they presented him with an attractive cake, with the following inscription, traced on the top in sugar: “Best Wishes on Your Twenty-first Birthday.” And now Dexter wants to know who told them his age.

Hood River News archives

November 23, 1945: The Hood River High School Dragons will engage the Cottage Grove Lions on the local turf field Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m., to decide who will enter the contest with the winner of the Grant High (Portland) and Medford game.

1945 — 70 years ago

After discussing a plan to acquire a tract of land, south and west of Hood River high school, for park and swimming pool purposes, the city council Monday evening referred the matter to committee with instructions to purchase this tract on the best terms possible. The property is owned by Roy Webster, well known orchard owner and fruit shipper.

Hood River stores will be closed from 1:30 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday) so that all employees and others may have an opportunity to see the big football game at the local high school field, in which the Dragons of Hood River will meet the Lions of Cottage Grove, in the Oregon state semi-finals for the prep schools championship.

1955 — 60 years ago

Hood River is one of six proposed cities in the area to be served by a natural gas company yet to be formed, the city council was told by two men from Goldendale who submitted a suggested franchise for consideration Monday night. The men were Zola Brooks, attorney, and R.W. Spickerman, auto dealer, both of Goldendale. The council referred the matter to committee for study.

Freeze Strikes Local Orchards

Extent of damage to fruit trees in the valley resulting from the near-record early freeze last week has not been determined, according to Walt Mellenthin of the Mid-Columbia Experiment Station, but the said that the damage may be “considerable” to apples, pears and cherries after a survey in the Parkdale area Wednesday.

“It is impossible to know the exact tree loss which may result,” he said. However, he said a detailed report is expected to be made early next year when more data is available.

He said that the crop loss which may result depends a great deal on the weather conditions during the remainder of the year and orchard practices.

Parkdale area orchardists report damage to small trees where freezing rain resulted in ice on trees. However, Mellenthin said the damage apparently was not as extensive as first rumored.

An approximate 30,000 to 40,000 boxes of fruit were standing in orchards when the cold snap struck and much of this fruit is reported to have been seriously damaged.

— Hood River News, November 25, 1955

Every person in the Mid-Columbia area is invited to see a “Christmas Festival” next Friday, Dec. 2, when local merchants stage something new in Christmas shopping appeal with festive window decorations and holiday gift bargains. The 1 ½-hour shopping program starts at 7 p.m. in downtown and the Heights. Many of the participating merchants are expected to use human manikins in the window displays. Over 30 merchants had joined the festival by press time.

1965 — 50 years ago

M.S. “Morry” Walton, Parkdale fruit grower since 1932, has joined Pooley Fruit Co. as a full partner, E.R. Pooley, owner of Pooley Fruit, announced this week. Walton will assist in sales and management. The new partner has lived in Hood River County all his life.

City Councilmen had an offer Thursday to help them along with their project to remove “eyesore” buildings, but they couldn’t take advantage of it right away. Tony DeBiasco, owner of land at 20th and Cascade, told the council he wants to tear down the old burned out restaurant at that corner and replace it with a 45 by 45 foot concrete block building. He was probing to find out if he could expect city council approval for a tavern license application in case he goes ahead with that plan. But the councilmen, while they liked the idea of removing the former restaurant, couldn’t give DeBiasco the assurance he wanted, as the project has to go through standard procedure.

1975 — 40 years ago

A whole new series of addresses went into effect Saturday when the Hood River Postal Service added Rural Route 6 to its delivery schedule. Postmaster Stanley Hendrickson said the new route was added as an auxiliary route because of overloading on other rural routes.

Jean Reed Harmon has just returned from attending the American Association of University Women (AAUW) United Nations seminar in New York City. Ms. Harmon, who is a member of the Hood River branch of the AAUW, was named a grant recipient on the basis of her interested in the UN and plans to use the conference experience in community activities and AAUW branch work. In addition, she will use the experience in her teaching profession as co-advisor of the International Relations League at Hood River Valley High School.

Hood River News archives

November 27, 1975: Pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving are going to be created from the mixture made by second graders in Carole Carnes’ class at Frankton School. According to Mrs. Carnes, the class is making the pies from scratch, after steaming a large pumpkin to coincide with their studies on how heat changes things. The mixture was made Friday, crusts were made Monday, and Wednesday is the big day for tasting the pies. Contributing a little teamwork to the project are, from left, Cindy Cich, Wayne Cochran, Kim Searcy and Lisa Ervin.

1985 — 30 years ago

A potential water emergency was stopped by a combined community effort Thursday in the city’s main water line. Several crews worked in adverse conditions to seal what could have been a major leak in the system. As it turned out, the cause was not deterioration of the 65-year-old line as feared by city officials. A bullet probably caused the damage that could have led to a major water shortage in the area.

This year’s HRVHS Wr’eagle wrestling program is small in numbers, and that leaves Keith Bassham a bit bewildered as to how the season will progress. Bassham said he anticipated 40 to 50 kids to turn out for the mat team, but only 35 wrestles are consistently showing up for practice. But those kids are working hard.

1995 — 20 years ago

One tunnel has been opened, and there’s one to go in the project to clear the Mosier twin tunnels on the Historic Columbia Highway. The progress was reviewed by a walking tour of some 40 interested persons last week, who were updated on how the project is going.

National football has come to the Hood River Valley — not by way of the television, but through another machine, one stitch at a time. Fred von Amerongen’s recently opened business, Hood River Apparel, is embroidering hats for the St. Louis Rams.

2005 — 10 years ago

Hood River County officials are worried that federal officials might move to stop tribes from building off-reservation casinos. Local government leaders have given unanimous support for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs plan to site a gaming facility in Cascade Locks. These same officials have registered strong objections to having the casino built on 40 acres of trust land just east of Hood River.

A Hood River Valley High School sophomore recently won second place in a statewide essay contest. Mercedez “Sadie” Dallman has been awarded a red ribbon by the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) for her “If I Were mayor, I Would …” entry. Her writing was also ranked first in a local contest because it portrayed an “in-depth understanding” of a public official’s role.